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pipes or other objects a snake could use for leverage to escape.
To capture larger snakes, use several glueboards
tacked to a 16- × 24-inch (41- × 61-centimeter)
piece of ¼-inch plywood. Drill a ¾-inch (2-centimeter) hole in one corner of the board. When you
need to remove the board, use a hook on the end
of a long stick to grab the corner through the hole.
This type of trap, when placed against a wall, is
capable of capturing snakes up to 5 or 6 feet (1.5
or 1.8 meters) long. This method takes advantage
of the snakes' habit of crawling along edges.
Use glueboards only indoors or under structures where children, pets and wildlife cannot
reach them—the glue is quite messy and hard to
remove. Use common cooking or vegetable oil to
remove snakes from the glue. Afterward, be sure
to close any holes or entrances so more snakes do
not enter.
Remember, snakes are an important part of our
natural world. Whenever possible, the best approach
to managing snakes is to leave them alone.
(Above) Damage caused
by a foraging woodpecker.
Photo by Paul Curtis, Cornell
University Extension
(Right) In the wild, woodpeckers are beautiful, but they can
damage buildings when they
are looking for food. Photo by
Dave Menke, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
Woodpeckers
the ground, rock and junk piles, and trash piles.
Trim shrubs and trees so limbs hang no lower
than 12 inches (30 centimeters) from the ground.
Stack lumber and pipe away from buildings on
racks that sit at least 12 inches from the ground.
Keeping the area clean also removes habitat for
rodents, a favorite food for snakes.
Capturing snakes in buildings
Snakes enter buildings in search of cool,
damp, dark areas, or places where rodents and
insects abound. To prevent snakes from entering
your buildings, check the foundation for cracks
and openings ¼ inch or larger. Use mortar to plug
holes in poured concrete, concrete block or brick
foundations.
Use ⅛-inch (0.3-centimeter) hardware cloth
or sheet metal to seal holes and cracks in wooden
buildings. Seal cracks and openings around windows, doors, electrical and plumbing pipes, and
wiring with caulk or injectable foam.
Occasionally golf course personnel encounter a snake inside a building or in a basement or
crawl space. Snakes are attracted to these areas by
warmth on cold days and cool shade on hot days.
An effective method of capturing elusive
snakes inside a home, under porches, in crawl
spaces or under mobile homes is to use a glueboard. (Glueboards are often used to trap mice or
rats.) Most small snakes can be captured using a
single glueboard placed against a wall, away from
98 GCM April 2013
Several species of woodpeckers can cause damage to buildings on golf courses. Woodpeckers are
federally protected so be sure to contact your state
wildlife agency before implementing control measures. Before authorities will allow lethal control
of woodpeckers, it must be shown that non-lethal
methods have been tried.
At certain times woodpeckers just want to
make noise. Their hammering serves as a warning
to other woodpeckers that a territory is taken. In
such cases the birds may hammer on metal poles,
metal siding or other surfaces that provide loud
and enhanced acoustics.
In some cases the woodpeckers may be pecking to get at insects under siding. This may indicate that an insect problem needs to be addressed.
Some of the plywood-type sidings are manufactured in a way that leaves hollow spots under the
surface. When a woodpecker taps the surface,
the hollow spot falsely indicates there is an insect
under the surface. In these cases the woodpecker
makes holes in the siding while seeking an imaginary insect.
Non-lethal control methods
Several exclusion methods are available. One
of the most effective methods of excluding woodpeckers from damaging wood siding beneath the
eaves is to place lightweight plastic bird-type netting over the area. The netting can be attached to
the overhanging eaves and angled back to the siding below the damaged area and tightly secured.